List of UK sites recognised for their importance in biodiversity conservation
# List of UK sites recognised for their importance in biodiversity conservation

This article provides a list of sites in the United Kingdom which are recognised for their importance to biodiversity conservation. The list is divided geographically by region and county.

## Inclusion criteria

Sites are included in this list if they are given any of the following designations:

Sites of importance in a global context

* Biosphere Reserves (BR)
* World Heritage Sites (WHS) (where biological interest forms part of the reason for designation)
* all Ramsar Sites

Sites of importance in a European context

* all Special Protection Areas (SPA)
* all Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
* all Important Bird Areas (IBA)

Sites of importance in a national context

* all sites which were included in the Nature Conservation Review (NCR site)
* all national nature reserves (NNR)
* Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), where biological interest forms part of the justification for notification (SSSIs which are designated purely for their geological interest are not included unless they meet other criteria)

## England

### Southwest

**Cornwall**

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Sites on the Penwith Peninsula ||||
| Aire Point to Carrick Du SSSI | Coastal cliffs and heathland | Maritime and heathland plant communities; nationally rare & scarce plants and invertebrates | NCR, SSSI |
| Chyenhal Moor | | | SSSI |
| Leswidden Block Works | Former china clay workings | Populations of western rustwort, Marsupella profunda, an internationally rare liverwort | SSSI |
| Lower Bostraze China Clay Works | Former china clay workings | Populations of western rustwort, Marsupella profunda, an internationally rare liverwort | SSSI |
| Porthgwarra to Pordenack Point | | | SSSI |
| Treen Cliff | | | SSSI |
| The Lizard ||||
| West Lizard SSSI | Heathland | Nationally rare & scarce plants & invertebrates | SSSI |
| Other sites ||||
| Bodmin Moor | Upland moorland | Moorland birds, dragonflies & butterflies | IBA |
| Carrack Gladden | Coastal headland | Plant communities, nationally scarce plants | SSSI |
| Gwithian to Mexico Towans | | | SSSI |
| Godrevy Head to St Agnes | | | SSSI |
| The Hayle Estuary | | | SSSI |
| Lymsworthy Meadows | | | SSSI |
| Marazion Marsh | | | SSSI |
| Meddon Moor | | | SSSI |
| Porth Kidney Sands | | | SSSI |
| Tamar Estuary complex | Estuary | Estuary birds | IBA |

**Devon**

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| The Exe Estuary ||||
| Dawlish Warren | Vegetated sand spit and estuary | Estuary birds, nationally rare plants | NNR, SSSI |
| Sites in east Devon ||||
| Aylesbeare Common | Heathland | Heathland birds, dragonflies | SSSI |
| Bolshayne Fen | Valley fen | Fenland plant communities | SSSI |
| Sites in south Devon ||||
| Berry Head | Coastal headland | Seabird colony, nationally rare plants | SSSI |
| South Milton Ley | Freshwater reedbed | Reedbed birds | SSSI |
| Sites in north Devon ||||
| Bursdon Moor | | | SSSI |
| Bradworthy Common | | | SSSI |
| Kismeldon Meadows | | | SSSI |
| Deptford Farm Pastures | | | SSSI |
| Braunton Burrows | Sand dune system | Complete successional range, nationally rare plants and animals | SSSI, BR, NNR (part), SAC |

**Dorset**

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Poole Harbour | Natural harbour (the second largest in the world, after Sydney harbour) | Wintering shorebirds, wintering wildfowl | IBA |
| Brownsea Island | Island, including a lagoon | Red squirrel; breeding, wintering and migrant birds | IBA, SSSI |

**Somerset**

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Mendip Hills ||||
| Priddy Mineries | Heathland & pool | Flora, invertebrates | SSSI |
| Other sites ||||
| Cheddar Reservoir | Artificial reservoir | Wintering waterfowl | SSSI |
| Bridgwater Bay | Estuary | Estuary birds | SSSI |
| Brean Down | Limestone headland | Grassland plant communities; rare invertebrates | SSSI |
| Grove Farm | | | SSSI |
| Millwater | | | SSSI |
| Whitevine Meadows | | | SSSI |
| Windsor Hill Marsh | Marshy field | Locally notable plant species | SSSI |

**Avon**

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Ashton Court | Deer park | Saproxylic invertebrates | SSSI |
| Avon Gorge (Leigh Woods) | Limestone gorge and semi-natural broad-leaved woodland | Plant communities, insect communities | NNR, SAC, SSSI |
| Banwell Caves | Caves | Greater horseshoe bat roost site | SSSI |
| Biddle Street, Yatton | | | SSSI |
| Bishop's Hill Wood | | | SSSI |
| Blagdon Lake | Artificial reservoir | | SSSI |
| Bodkin Hazel Wood | | | SSSI |
| Brockley Hall Stables | Former stable block | Greater horseshoe bat breeding site | SSSI |
| Burledge Sidelands and Meadows | Unimproved grassland | | SSSI |
| Burrington Combe | Limestone gorge | | SSSI |
| Chew Valley Lake | Artificial reservoir | Wildfowl | SPA, SSSI |
| Cleeve Wood, Hanham | Semi-natural broad-leaved woodland | Nationally scarce plant | SSSI |
| Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines | Stone mines | Greater horseshoe bat roosts | SSSI |
| Compton Martin Ochre Mine | Stone mine | Greater horseshoe bat roost | SSSI |
| Congrove Field and The Tumps | Unimproved grassland | | SSSI |
| Ellenborough Park | Dune grassland, managed as parkland | Dune grassland plant communities including two Red Data Book species, branched horsetail and smooth rupturewort | SSSI |
| Folly Farm, Bishop Sutton | Meadow and woodland | Grassland plant communities, invertebrate communities | SSSI |
| Gordano valley | Peatland | Plant communities, invertebrate communities | NNR, SSSI |
| Harptree Combe | Wooded combe | Plant communities, invertebrate communities, the rare Appleyard's feather-moss | SSSI |
| Horseshoe Bend, Shirehampton | Wooded cliff and saltmarsh strip | Plant communities, including the nationally rare True Service-tree | SSSI |
| Iford Manor | Country house | Greater horseshoe bat breeding site | SSSI |
| St Catherine's Valley | Grassland | Grassland plant communities; locally scarce plants | SSSI |
| Uphill Cliff | | | SSSI |
| Yanal Bog | Lowland mire | Plant communities | SSSI |

**Wiltshire**

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Baverstock Juniper Bank | Chalk grassland and scrub | Large population of juniper | SSSI |
| Bentley Wood | Extensive area of semi-natural broadleaved woodland | Insect communities | SSSI |
| Box Mine | Abandoned stone mines | Roost site for bats, including greater horseshoe | SSSI |
| Calstone and Cherhill Downs | Extensive area of calcareous grassland | One of a small number of British sites for the wart-biter | SSSI |
| Chilmark Quarries | Quarries with a cave system | Winter roost for Bechstein's bat and other bat species | SSSI |
| Fonthill Grottoes | Subterranean follies | Winter roost for up to nine bat species | SSSI |

**Gloucestershire**

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Forest of Dean | Extensive area of semi-natural broadleaved woodland | Plant communities, woodland birds, insect communities | |
| Dean Hall Coach House and Stables | Country house | Greater horseshoe bat breeding roost | SSSI |

## Southeast

### Bedfordshire

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Barton Hills | Lowland grassland | Grassland plant communities | NNR |
| King's Wood, Heath and Reach | Woodland | Woodland plant communities | NNR |
| Knocking Hoe | Grassland | Grassland plant communities | NNR |

### Buckinghamshire

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Windsor Hill SSSI | Beech woodland, scrub and chalk grassland | Plant communities | NCR, SSSI |

### Hampshire

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Upper Greensand Hangars | Semi-natural broadleaved woodland | Plant communities and geology | SSSI |

### Kent

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Burham Down | Calcareous woodland and grassland | | SSSI |
| Burham Marsh | | | SSSI |
| East Blean Woods | | Heath fritillary | SSSI, SAC, NNR |
| Hothfield Common | Heath | | LNR, SSSI |
| Lydden Temple Ewell | Calcareous grassland | Early spider orchid, burnt orchid, silver-spotted skipper, Adonis blue | SSSI, SAC, NNR |
| Marden Meadow | Neutral grassland | Green-winged orchid | Part SSSI |
| Oare Marshes | | | SSSI, Ramsar Site, LNR, SPA, ESA |
| Park Gate Down | Calcareous grassland | Lady orchid, late spider orchid, monkey orchid and musk orchid, | SSSI, SAC |
| Queendown Warren | Calcareous grassland | Early spider orchid and lady orchid | SSSI, SAC, LNR |
| Romney Marsh Visitor Centre | | | SSSI, LNR |
| Sandwich and Pegwell Bay | Coastal grassland and dunes | Lizard orchid | SSSI, Ramsar Site, SPA, cSAC, NNR |
| Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve | | | SSSI |
| South Swale | | | SSSI, Ramsar Site, LNR, SPA, ESA |
| West Blean | | Heath fritillary | SSSI |
| Westfield Wood | Calcareous woodland | | SAC, SSSI |
| Yockletts Bank | Calcareous woodland | Lady orchid | SSSI |

### Surrey

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Bookham Commons | Woodland, grassland and scrub | Locally notable plants, rare moths, breeding bird communities | SSSI |

### Sussex

Rye Harbour Nature Reserve

### Midlands

**Shropshire**

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Catherton Common | Uncultivated heathland | Nationally scarce bird, insect and plant species | SSSI |

**Worcestershire**

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Christopher Cadbury Wetland Reserve | Wetland (freshwater & saline pools) | Many species of birds, including avocet, curlew, ringed plover and bittern | SSSI |
| Wyre Forest | Semi-natural woodland | Wildlife including hawfinch, dipper, common crossbill, pied flycatcher, long-eared owl and adder. | NNR, SSSI |

### Northwest

**Cheshire**

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Sandbach Flashes | Wetland (partially saline, even though inland) | Aquatic plant & invertebrate communities; woodland lichen flora; wintering wildfowl and waders | SSSI |

### Northeast

**Lincolnshire**

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Potter Hanworth Wood | Small-leaved lime woodland | Plant & animal communities | SSSI |

**Yorkshire**

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Grass Wood, Wharfedale | Woodland with areas of limestone grassland | Plant community | SSSI |

**County Durham**

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Bishop Middleham Quarry | Disused quarry | Magnesian limestone grassland plant communities | SSSI |

## Wales

### Anglesey

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Holy Island seabird cliffs ||||
| South Stack | Coastal cliff | Seabird colony | SPA |
| Anglesey tern colonies ||||
| The Skerries | Offshore islets | Seabird colony | IBA, SPA, SSSI |
| Cemlyn Bay and lagoon | Coastal lagoon | Tern colony | IBA, SPA, SSSI |
| Ynys Feurig | Offshore islets | Tern colony | IBA, SPA, SSSI |
| Other sites ||||
| Fedw Fawr | Coastal cliff | Seabird colony | SSSI |

## Scotland

### Northeast Scotland

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Fowlsheugh, Kincardineshire | Cliff | Seabird colony | SPA, SSSI |

### Shetland

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| Hermaness | Cliff | Seabird colony | NNR |

### Other islands

| Site name(s) | Type of site | Nature conservation interest | Designation(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| St Kilda | Island group | Seabird colony (largest in Britain), endemic subspecies of wren and wood mouse | IBA, NNR, WHS |
| North Rona | Island | Seabird colony | IBA, NNR |
| Sula Sgeir | Island | Seabird colony | IBA, NNR |
| Flannan Isles | Island group | Seabird colony | IBA |
| Shiant Isles | Island | Seabird colony, passage & wintering geese | IBA |
| Monach Islands | Island group | Breeding seabirds, passage & wintering geese | IBA |
